Pride In Doing A Job

[givenall]

Ok I wanted to know if I am the only one feels like this. I have been here for almost 3 years and had to deal with Thai workers and contractors many times.

I like it here but i do miss people have satisfaction of having pride and doing job right.

Unlike in west particularly US, I do not see anyone over here have pride in doing their jobs. They always take shortcuts and/or just don't finish it properly

Please give me your thoughts

[Jigger]

What industry?

I have never worked in Thailand (Looking for something) but I have seen many PBX's and MDF's in the country - all make US/AUS/UK Standard seem very poor, so i have to disagree with you.

[H2oDunc]

My pop always told me that if you are going to do something then do it the best you can. I always tried to do so. Sadly back in the UK I worked with many guys who just didn't give a toss and were there simply to get paid. It isn't just here. Lots of people come here and forget the service they received back home. Just read the posts on internet woes to see what I mean. People complain about TOT and CAT. I can remember spending hours on the phone to BT trying to talk to somebody that spoke English as a first language. I have found here that giving a bonus at the end of the work if it is satisfactory works as does using tradesmen recommended by friends.

It is also worth remembering that alot of these guys are working all day for 5-10 dollars. How much pride would you put into a job being paid that amount ?

[givenall]

What industry?

I have never worked in Thailand (Looking for something) but I have seen many PBX's and MDF's in the country - all make US/AUS/UK Standard seem very poor, so i have to disagree with you.

Before i moved Thailand i was a Sr. manager in hi-tech industry in US and now I have a Facial massage shop MBK

[Jigger]

What industry?

I have never worked in Thailand (Looking for something) but I have seen many PBX's and MDF's in the country - all make US/AUS/UK Standard seem very poor, so i have to disagree with you.

Before i moved Thailand i was a Sr. manager in hi-tech industry in US and now I have a Facial massage shop MBK

hi-tech industry?

[davyboy]

What industry?

I have never worked in Thailand (Looking for something) but I have seen many PBX's and MDF's in the country - all make US/AUS/UK Standard seem very poor, so i have to disagree with you.

Before i moved Thailand i was a Sr. manager in hi-tech industry in US and now I have a Facial massage shop MBK

hi-tech industry?

25th floor of a Technical College!!!

[Rimmer]

Ok I wanted to know if I am the only one feels like this. I have been here for almost 3 years and had to deal with Thai workers and contractors many times.

Please give me your thoughts

In my experience there are two only ways a worker on a construction site does a job here, The easy way and the correct way.

Guess which is first choice.

[TerryLH]

"It is also worth remembering that alot of these guys are working all day for 5-10 dollars. How much pride would you put into a job being paid that amount ?"

That's not really a legit comparison.

If that's the going rate, and they've agreed to work for it, the pride should be there.

That would lead me to think that it's not the money, (at least not in all cases), that leads to less then their best effort.

I've seen many westerners here, on much higher salaries, giving minimal effort. Many of those, I'm sure, were piss poor employees in their own countries as well.

[oldsparrow]

What industry? I have never worked in Thailand (Looking for something) but I have seen many PBX's and MDF's in the country - all make US/AUS/UK Standard seem very poor, so i have to disagree with you.

Before i moved Thailand i was a Sr. manager in hi-tech industry in US and now I have a Facial massage shop MBK

Your direct experience is natural. The personal qualification, benefit and career path of the employees in your 2 business circle are simply very much different. Your US employees may work to send men to Mars. Your Thai employees may do anywork to send some Bahts to their folks. Your Thai employees may just spend half of the day dreaming of other career. Your massage product suppliers may do the dealing part-time etc.

IMO, the practical comparison should be service quality/Baht between your shop and other massage shops.

[Moonrakers]

I suspect that your Thai contractors are over worked, under trained and under paid

If they are treating their job as little more than a vehicle to get money, then it is likely to be because there boss is treating them in the same way, there is also a good chance that the company is under-staffed meaning that the staff they do have are being pressured to finish quickly so as to move onto the next job.

Training, training and training often goes a long way towards happy staff whom with the right recognition, job diversificaton and a recognisable career path become satisfied in their job and take more pride in it. Until then they are unlikely to treat their job us a dead-end job rather than a career.

Edited August 27, 2009 by Moonrakers

[givenall]

I suspect that your Thai contractors are over worked, under trained and under paid

If they are treating their job as little more than a vehicle to get money, then it is likely to be because there boss is treating them in the same way, there is also a good chance that the company is under-staffed meaning that the staff they do have are being pressured to finish quickly so as to move onto the next job.

Training, training and training often goes a long way towards happy staff whom with the right recognition, job diversificaton and a recognisable career path become satisfied in their job and take more pride in it. Until then they are unlikely to treat their job us a dead-end job rather than a career.

I think these are excuses.

When I deal with anyone who agrees to the job and they claim to be experts (by the way I have not found anyone who does not say they are expert in the work they do) then they should do good job wheather they do it themselves or they have their workers who do the job.

The point is that in any job when one agree to do then one should do the best possible way. This is the way I am used to.

Most cases, after the job is done and money is paid is very hard to bring anyone back to correct the problem, this is another indication of my point, No pride

[mrtoad]

Ok I wanted to know if I am the only one feels like this. I have been here for almost 3 years and had to deal with Thai workers and contractors many times.

I like it here but i do miss people have satisfaction of having pride and doing job right.

Unlike in west particularly US, I do not see anyone over here have pride in doing their jobs. They always take shortcuts and/or just don't finish it properly

Please give me your thoughts

Oh it's common here, but it's also pretty common elsewhere. Had plenty of experience of managing people in the UK who were more than happy to take short cuts and the easy way out. They did not last long, if they weren't prepared to put in the effort. If you don't have pride in your job, you don't have pride in yourself.

[wilsongbrown]

Ok I wanted to know if I am the only one feels like this. I have been here for almost 3 years and had to deal with Thai workers and contractors many times.

I like it here but i do miss people have satisfaction of having pride and doing job right.

Unlike in west particularly US, I do not see anyone over here have pride in doing their jobs. They always take shortcuts and/or just don't finish it properly

Please give me your thoughts

QUOTE

On another thread someone pointed out that in Saudi Arabia the Thais are appreciated for their workmanship, and quite possibly their cheerfulness

But there again, the fact that they were being paid a decent living wage might help. How much pride would you take in your job if you were only paid 140-200 baht a day? Again, refer to the teaching forum where most of the disgruntled 30k a monthers are of the general opinion that at that price, do the minimum one can get away with.

Edited August 27, 2009 by wilsongbrown

[cdnvic]

I've employed Thais in both Canada and New Zealand for the same reason, their strong work ethic and lack of complaining.

[Serpico]

Never mind. Cannot.

These are the two most common things heard around a workplace.

[PeaceBlondie]

I come from a long background of hard-workers (white collar, professionals). Here I commuted 32 km to work with experienced, upper-middle class teachers who worked hard and long without complaining, stuck in a broken system they can't fix. We spoke yesterday to the pool cleaner. He works three jobs; lives 40 km from work.

[Beardog]

Thailand is a little low & slow on the pride side. For one they are not trained to western standards & passed down the way to do the best they can based on 100's of years ago's methods. The wage is commensurable to the output.

I trained 3 guys how to use a welding unit properly. Amazingly 1 of them got a clue & does a shit hot job & cares . the other 2 are most likely cooking noodles somewhere. It is extremely difficult here to even get a recommendation for a good tradesman as 1 day he is an ace the next an ass that you wonder how he ever got a single job in the first place. I do all my own plumbing & 1/2 of the rest of the building and irrigation & a minor portion of electrical(very minor) Bang Sare graciously accepted the offer to teach a 12 person crew - how to construct a drain system that works( place the drain downhill so it works....LOL) Yesterday I had to explain to Kanyong water pump dept how to test parts to weed out the bad units(prompted by one of their lackeys trying to impress the boss he was an engineer & voided the warranty.) The manager of the electric water pump dept deserves a promotion because he does have pride & tries to deliver what he says, on the other hand the GM needs to be demoted to a parts runner & stay away from people!

Sad but true if you want a good job do it yourself & if you don't know dids about what your doing you will learn & hardly can do worse than some one that could give a rats ass about his job.

I learned when I was 16 training towards becoming an engineer (for about 40 years) that if you are not proud enough to put your name on your job stay at home let someone who cares do it.

[Datsun240Z]

I've employed Thais in both Canada and New Zealand for the same reason, their strong work ethic and lack of complaining.

I just spoiled my coffee all over the keyboard....

[cdnvic]

I just spoiled my coffee all over the keyboard....

[mrtoad]

I've employed Thais in both Canada and New Zealand for the same reason, their strong work ethic and lack of complaining.

I just spoiled my coffee all over the keyboard....

Why? Was it an involuntary jerk?

My old university buddy owns a fairly large construction company in Singapore and he employs a number of Thai's to work on his construction sites. Having seen the quality of the work that they undertake and the hours that they put in, it comes as no surprise what Vic has said. BTW, they certainly like a good drink at the days end.

I think you will find a different mentality to workers who go overseas, to your regular local tradesman here, or anywhere in the world.

[givenall]

I've employed Thais in both Canada and New Zealand for the same reason, their strong work ethic and lack of complaining.

I just spoiled my coffee all over the keyboard....

Why? Was it an involuntary jerk?

My old university buddy owns a fairly large construction company in Singapore and he employs a number of Thai's to work on his construction sites. Having seen the quality of the work that they undertake and the hours that they put in, it comes as no surprise what Vic has said. BTW, they certainly like a good drink at the days end.

I think you will find a different mentality to workers who go overseas, to your regular local tradesman here, or anywhere in the world.

Good point, I also see many Thai people who go to US doing a very good job. I had a lady engineer with excellent work ethics. It may be even some Thai themselves release this and the ones who want to do better see the oversea as a better place who admire and appreciate a job done well

[apetley]

This is a picture of some coving put up in our Thai home last year.

It was done by a guy who headed up a carpentry shop.

He was very proud of his work and very upset when I told him that it was not good enough.

Couldn't understand when I tore it down and got someone else to finish the work.

Bad workmanship exists the world over.

[PeaceBlondie]

We had our new home built entirely by Thais, Thai style. No farang ever involved. Moved in January 29. Had outside areas finished by June. Other than some roof tiles that were fixed for 1000 baht, work done very well'

Timbuk3 lyric: "...just another jerk, taking pride in his work." Let the Thais fix Thailand.

[Datsun240Z]

This is a picture of some coving put up in our Thai home last year.

It was done by a guy who headed up a carpentry shop.

He was very proud of his work and very upset when I told him that it was not good enough.

Couldn't understand when I tore it down and got someone else to finish the work.

Bad workmanship exists the world over.

Yeah I can understand. How hard is it, to do that right?

[givenall]

We had our new home built entirely by Thais, Thai style. No farang ever involved. Moved in January 29. Had outside areas finished by June. Other than some roof tiles that were fixed for 1000 baht, work done very well'

Timbuk3 lyric: "...just another jerk, taking pride in his work." Let the Thais fix Thailand.

I don’t see anything wrong with someone tell them they can do better so they can fix Thailand

[Chunkton]

Thai tradesmen probably exist but they are elusive. Pride in workmanship? Ha ha, that's a good one. Do as little as possible as quickly as possible, grab the money, then move onto the next non-repeat customer.

Used one mob once that did a good job, second time a different guy was sent who was completely useless and made a complete mess. Seems the new guy was family and cheap, so no actual tradesman turns up.

I think most of these guys learn on the job, and just use it as a filler till they can find an easier job. I now do most jobs myself, tiring, but good exercise and it gets done properly. Usually not hard to figure out what to do, or Google it.

[Moonrakers]

Thai tradesmen probably exist but they are elusive. Pride in workmanship? Ha ha, that's a good one. Do as little as possible as quickly as possible, grab the money, then move onto the next non-repeat customer.

Therein lyeth the problem.